smith



(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. J. R. SMITH.

WINDMILL.

N0. 465,681. Patented DBG. 22, 1891.

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WINDMILL.

NoI 465,681. Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOIIN SMITH, OFNEOSl-IO, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK BLAISDELL, OF VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,681, dated December 22, 1891.

Application filed April 20, 1891. Serial No. 389,650. (No modelJ.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Ee it known that I, JOHN R. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Neosho, in the county of Newton and State of Missouri,

have invented certain new and useful I|nprovements in IVindmills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable oth ers skilled in the art to which it apperro tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that class of wind mills or engines known as horizontal; and it consists, substantially, in such features of arrangement, construction, and combinations of parts as will hereinafter be more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a windmill or engine from which the greatest zo amount of work is derived in a given space of time, and one also in which a minimum strain is exerted to the several parts of which.

the said mill or engine is constituted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a windmill or engine which shall be capable of ready handling by the operator, so

as to be quickly thrown into and out of operation.

A further object of the invention is to pro 3o vide means to automatically govern or controlthe said frames in such manner as that when the mill or engine is running at a very high rate of speed the sails themselves will be made to more effectually evade the wind. A still further object is to provide means for automatically maintaining` the sail-frames in a vertical position while the engine is doing its work, and thereby always present a maximum resistance to the wind by the sails, sub- 4o stantially all as will more fully hereinafter appear when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a view in perspective bf a windmill or engine constructed in accordance with my invention, and wherein will be seen the double series of sail-frames, together.

with their pivoted or swinging sails, the adjusting and governing devices aswell as the connections and attachments by means of 5o which the engine is placed into and out of position for operation. Fig. 2 is a view in enlarged perspective of one of the sail-frames and its sail, together with the adjusting and governing devices or weights, the said view indicating more clearly the general arrangement and construction of the several parts named. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged View of the preferred form of sail resorted to in the practice of the invention; and Fig'. 4 is a view representing the manner, in largesized machines of bracing the sail-arms from the upper central step or bearing in which the vertically-operating shaft works.

Before proceeding with a more detailed description I will go on in a general way to describe the several parts, and then to refer to them more specifically by the employment of the usual letters of reference. In the first place, I dispense with the use of any special form of tower, such as are indispensable in many forms of windmills or engines at present in use, and in lieu of a tower I employ simply four posts or uprights, which are fixed in the ground and strengthened or supported by suitable guy-rods. Arranged about centrally intermediate of the square covered by the posts is the usual vertical or upright shaft, which is provided with suitable means for engaging a horizontal shaft for operating a pump or other contrivance. The said vertical or upright shaft is provided with a suitable step or bearing at both its upper and lower ends, while projecting outwardly therefrom at right angles are several series (only two shown) of horizontal arms, which support and carry the sail-frames, the said arms of' the upper series also terminating at their outer ends with suitable brackets, on which aresuspended the governing devices which control or govern the working of the frames by centrifugal action during times when the engine or mill may be running at a very high rate of speed.

The frames are rectangular pieces of metal of suitable strength, having their ends made to encircle or embrace the su pporting-arms in such manner as to be capable of turning thereon and brought either to horizontal or vertical posit-ion simultaneously, and the inner ends of said frames terminate with pro` Jectlng portions having loops or eyes, which re- IOO ceive the ends of links which, connect the upper series of frames with the lower series. Each frame is provided with a swinging or hanging sail or vane, while the frames of the upper series only are provided with weights, which automaticallyad just the frames of both series when the operating-lever has been shifted, so as to cause the parts to be brought into readiness for operation. Preferably I employ the style of frame and saii shown in Fig. 4, wherein the said sail is made up of two separate parts, each of which is independently suspended. or supported; but for all practical purposes I have found that the style thereof illustrated in the several remaining figures to answer sufficiently well for the purpose of explaining my present invention.

The vertical shaft is formed or provided with a series of eyes or loops, through which are passed suitable cords or chains, which have their ends fastened, respectively, to the upper series of frames, and similar eyes or loops formed or providedon a movable sleeve which works on the said shaft, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The purpose, however, of this arrangement is that when the movable sleeve is pushed downward upon the shaft and held by the operating-lever the cords or chains will exert an upward pull upon the upperseries of frames, and this action will throw both the upper and lower series of frames to a horizontal position, and thereby cause the mill I to stop working. On the'other hand, when i the movable sleeve is released the adjustingweights of the upper series of frames will again restore the two series to a vertical position, thereby starting the machin Reference being had tothe several parts by the letters marked thereon, A represents four posts, which are inserted in the ground and firmly held in position by means of guy-rods a, as shown, said rods being provided with turn-buckles b, so as to enable them to be drawn up or'tightened from time to time.

B represents a centrally-arranged vertical shaft, having its upper bearing in block or step c and its lower bearing in step d, the said shaft being provided at near its lower end with a bevel-gear e to engage with any contrivance designed to be worked or operated by the mill.

Projecting outwardly or radially from shaft B, at right angles thereto, are an upper series f and' a lower series g of horizontal arms, which support and carry the sail-frames F, the said upper series fhaving their outer ends formed or provided with brackets h, to which are suspended centrifugal governing devices z', which, when the wind is blowing hard and the mill running very fast, serve to bear the sail-frames down in such manner that the edges of the sails which catch the wind are more and more presented to the wind, thereby tending to effectually govern the parts and furnish a better working effect. The said governors are constructed of the bent or approximatelytriangular-shaped portions t" and the straight depending portions if', having the balls or weights j, and when'the balls or weights are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force the portions t" will be caused to turn inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and thereby depress the sail-frames to a horizontal position, as and for the purpose stated. These governors, instead of being arranged with the upper series of said frames, may be arranged in connection with the lower series 0f such frames and perform the same results. The said frames F are rectangular in shape, as shown, and are mounted upon the armsf and g, so as to turn thereon; but they are prevented going past a horizontal or vertical position, accordingly as they are operated, by means of stops 71:, secured upon the horizontal arms at points near their attachment to the vertical shaft. The part Z of the frames which contact or engage the stops 7c are formed with eyes or loops m, into which are received the upperand lower ends, respectively,of the links n, which connect the upper and lower series of frames, and it will be seen that when one series is lowered or raised the other will be operated simultaneously therewith.

o represents cords or chains which pass through suitable eyes or loops p, fastened in the vertical shaft, and these cords or chains are fastened at one end to the partsZ of the upper series of sail-frames, while their other ends are fastened in any suitable manner to a movable sleeve C,slotted and working on a pin in the vertical shaft at or near the lower end thereof, and being formed with a flange C. A bowed or forked lever D embraces the shaft, as shown, and rests upon the frame, and it will be seen that by depressing said lever, so as to draw the sleeve downward on the shaft, all of the cords o will be drawn upon and both series of sail-frames will be caused to assume horizontal positions. By fastening the lever in this position the mill will not run or work; but immediately on releasing the lever the frames will again assume vertical positions and the mill will start. The said frames are brought to the vertical by means of weights E, which are secured thereto, as shown, and, turning as they do on the upper arms, their action will be clearly understood, it is thought.

The sails themselves are of the same shape as their frames, and they are pivoted or swung from the upper portions of said frames, as shown. These sails may be of sheet metal or other preferred material and may be pivoted or swung to the frames in any suitable secure manner.

When using machines of extraordinary size and power, I sometimes employ suitable brace-rods G, fastened to the central vertical shaft, (see Fig. 4,) and then again, in order to strengthen the parts generally, I usually attach to or form with the lower horizontal arms ITO g suitable brackets h, (similar to those 7L on 'arms in the working of the mill.

From the foregoing description it is thought the construction, arrangement, and operation of my invention will beA fully apparent, and

itwill of course be understood that in many instances immaterial changes could be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a windmill of the character described, the combination, with the central vertical shaft, of a series of movable sail-frames supported radially from said shaft, each frame being provided with a swinging sail adapted to drop and hang loosely from said frames when the latter are brought to a horizontal position, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a windmill of the character described, the combination, with the central Vertical shaft, of two or more series of movable sailframes supported radially from said shaft, sails suspended in said frames and adapted to drop and hang loosely therefrom when the latter are brought to a horizontal position, and means connecting the series, whereby all of the frames will be acted upon simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

3. In a windmill of the character described, the combination, with the sail-frames, of the horizontally-arranged swinging or hanging sails adapted to drop and hang loosely therefrom when the frames are brought to a horizontal position, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

a. In a windmill of the character described,

the combination, with the horizontal arms formed or provided with the brackets h, of the governors t', constructed of the approximately triangular portion, the straight portion, and the weight j, substantially as shown and set forth.

5. In a windmill of the character described, the combination, with the horizontal arms having thereon the stops k, of the sail-frames movable on said arms and formed or provided with the portions Z, adapted to be arrested by said stops, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a windmill of the character described, the combination of a central vertical shaft, an upper and lower bearing for said shaft, supporting-posts surrounding said shaft, rods or chains extending from said posts to the upper bearing and provided with turn-buckles or adjusting devices, whereby the shaft may be maintained at a true vertical position,.substantially as shown and set forth.

7. In a windmill of the character described,- the combination, with the central vertical shaft, of the horizontal arms extending radially therefrom in upper and lower series, the brackets secured to the ends of the arms, the movable sail-frames mounted on the arms and carrying the wind-sails, the centrifugal governors bearing against the sail-frames and being composed of the approximately-triangular-shaped portions, the straight portions, and the weights j, and the weights E, turning on the upper series of rods and fastened to the sail-frames, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN R. SMITH. Witnesses: N. A.' MoRFoRD, J. A. STooK'roN. 

